Sandy Blue Blonde Orange
by CupcakeFlake
Summary: Each of the five times Percy met the blonde girl, she saved his life. She never aged. She never stayed. He never forgot. When he was twelve, he finally learned the truth. Time-travel AU (demigods still exist)
1. Part 1

**Hi! So, this fic is for The AU Challenge by queen-sheep.**

 **My prompt was to write a time travel AU, and being the Whovian that I am, got super excited.**

 **Then I wrote this, which is nothing like Doctor Who. But I had a hell of a fun time cooking up this idea.**

 **NOTE: This is meant to be a five-part story. Each of the parts will be really short. (I was originally going to make it a oneshot, but decided it would be more fun to post one part a day)**

 **In this fic, demigods and Olympians still exist. But time travel turned it into an AU.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson.**

* * *

 _Part One_

The first time he saw her, he had just successfully dug to the bottom of the sandbox. It was blue. He could even knock his knuckles against the bottom. A few grains of sand stuck to his skin, but he shook them off with a gleeful flick.

There was a small flash in the distance. Percy blinked, wiping his hands on the side of his shirt. The flash seemed to have happened from behind the building. He squinted, then carefully rose to his feet. A few wobbly steps across the slippery sand, and he was out of the sandbox and on the pavement.

Teacher came out then, wearing the blue polka-dot skirt Percy loved. She waved her hands around. "Come on in, children! It's naptime!"

Percy gave the building where he had seen the light one last, lingering gaze, before he jumped away and skipped for the door. Teacher smiled at him. He beamed back. The classroom was warm. The walls were covered in a calming aquamarine wallpaper.

He didn't notice the swish of long blonde hair right behind him, or the piercing eyes that widened as they landed on him.

There were cots against the far end of the room, and Teacher held Percy's chubby hand and led him to one. The cot sounded like his rattle. He giggled, and Teacher's eyes brightened at the sound.

Teacher gently lifted up the corner of the blanket and gestured for Percy to get him. He climbed onto the colorful bed and closed his eyes, letting the warmth of the room lull him to sleep.

Once all the preschoolers were settled in, the lights turned off, with bright blue night lights dotting the walls. Percy's breathing softened as he drifted further and further into Dreamland.

There was a sudden beeping sound, and the teacher glanced into her pocket with surprise. She tugged the pager out, blinked at it, and then made a faint groaning sound. She stood up, and then gently stepped out of the room, making sure her footsteps were soft and gentle.

After she disappeared behind the door frame, the room was perfectly still, filled only with the sounds of gentle breathing and humming.

Then, there was a faint hissing sound.

A girl, looking about 17 or so, stepped in and whipped her head around. She moved silently and stealthily, creeping up to each bed and peeking at the children. The first had a redheaded baby. The next one was a girl. And the next one was blonde.

Finally, she reached Percy's bed, and upon identifying him, she let out a relieved sigh.

The blanket shifted, but Percy hadn't moved a muscle.

The girl bent down, and gently slipped her hand under the blanket. Her hand shuffled around, careful not to touch him, feeling around for the source of movement. Suddenly, her hand tensed, and in a flash her hand snatched the snake and squeezed. Hard.

The snake writhed and twisted, but in a few minutes, it had gone limp.

The girl then tugged it out from under the blanket, and studied it. She had never been an expert on reptiles, but she was intelligent enough to recognize the bright coloring as a sign of a venomous serpent. Not a monster (or it would have dissolved), but still very dangerous, especially for a four-year old like Percy Jackson.

As if he had heard her thoughts, Percy rolled around, eyes fluttering open. His vision was blurry at first, and he had to keep blinking. He could just barely make out a girl, wearing lots of orange. Her blonde hair was tugged in a ponytail.

"H-hello?" He whispered.

The girl smiled gently. "Shh," she said, stretching her arm forward. Her fingers moved toward his face, as if to caress his cheek, but at the last moment, she hesitated. Changing her mind, she settled for tugging the blanket so it was properly wrapped around his shoulders.

The blanket was warm, and Percy smiled.

"Get some sleep," the girl said, voice no louder than a faint breath. "It's too soon for you to know me."

She reached her hand in her pocket and started to pull something out. Hat, thought Percy.

He blinked.

The girl had vanished.

The poor young toddler didn't know what to think of the mysterious girl, but he decided to take her advice. The bed was comfy, after all.

He closed his eyes and napped. There was another flash, but he didn't see it.

* * *

 **Again, short. Let me know what you think! (Even if it's a piece of crap)**


	2. Part 2

**Aaaaand, here's Part Two!**

 **And by the way, yes, I'll publish each of the five parts a day. The last one will be posted on Friday.**

* * *

 _Part Two_

He saw her again a couple of years later. His mom had taken him on vacation, to their cabin in Montauk.

The moment they arrived, Percy ran for his bed, and jumped on. The springs creaked and groaned, and the sand was already scratching his legs and creeping into his shorts.

He grinned. He had missed this place.

Outside, the oceans crashed and slammed into the rocks. Percy drummed his fingers against the headboard, waiting for his mom to come in and give him permission to go outside and play on the beach. His eyes scanned the room, studying everything that looked interesting with all the wonder in the world.

His mom stepped in, blue sandals tapping against the wooden floor of the cabin. She wiped a strand of her long hair and grinned at her son. As if on cue, he bounced on the seat, nearly bursting with eagerness.

"Someone's excited," she commented, humor lining her face.

Percy's eyes snapped at the window. "I wanna go on the beach!"

Sally looked at him, taking a moment to appreciate this. He was so always so happy, so cheerful despite what little she had to give him. And she loved him, she really did. But would he always be so happy when he learned who his father was?

She shook the thought out of her head. He was here now, legs swinging and eyes full of impatience. Her eyes softened as they always did with Percy.

"I'll let you go play in a minute," she said, folding her arms. "But first, we've got to clean up the place, you know that."

It wasn't long before the boy had found himself running across the coast. His feet dug into the sand, wriggling between his toes, but he didn't seem to mind. His arms swung at his side.

The ocean was crashing wildly and violently. Percy paused for a moment in front of it, hesitating. Anyone watching from the outside might have thought he was hesitating out of fear. But fear was the last thing on Percy's mind as a warm smile flickered to life on his face.

For some reason the seven-year old couldn't quite place, whenever he was here at Montauk, he always felt like home.

Wind blew at his arms. The ocean spray felt like ice.

He felt alive.

The water was too cold to swim in, so Percy settled for sitting in the sand and the pebbles. They scratched his knees, but he ignored it and started smoothing it out so he could draw in it or build a sandcastle.

Hours passed, with Percy playing and Sally watching. At one point, the two played a game where they would run for the coast as fast as they could, and then run back as soon as their feet touched the frigid waters. It was great fun.

Clouds were starting to bunch in the sky, threatening to spill rain over the happy family. Sally peered up in concern, hand blocking the sun, eyebrows furrowing. Then she turned down to her son, who was trying to dig a hole that he could fill with water and turn into a swimming pool. "Percy," she said to him, and he craned his head up, hair full of sand. "I'm going to go get a towel and umbrella in case it rains, okay? I'll be back in a moment."

Percy dutifully waved.

Soon after she was gone, a wind blew past, tickling Percy's arms. The sky grew darker as clouds blanketed in front of the sun. He shivered, but continued to spoon sand out of the hole. His pool was almost finished.

Then he heard a growling from behind him.

Percy's head snapped around, and then his whole body tensed. There was a creepy-looking pig-like...thing, staring at him with an angry, distorted face that seemed to say, You like bacon? Well, now, bacon's going to eat you! Sweet revenge!

Percy really didn't want to be eaten. He pushed himself away from his pool, wondering if he could trick the boar into trapping itself in the hole.

There was a sudden flash from behind him, and the whole world seemed to light up in a brilliant glow.

Without a word, a girl—the same girl, Percy knew—leapt out from behind him, wielding a glimmering bronze knife. She was stanced, poised, ready for a fight.

Percy breathed, relieved. He didn't know this girl, but he just knew she was here to help.

He watched, entranced, as the girl battled the boar, blonde hair floating in the breeze. She moved expertly, as if she fought monsters on a regular basis. Her heels dug into the sand with every move, but that didn't slow her down.

The pig swiped at her, claws ripping through her orange shirt as if it were made of butter.

Percy's breath hitched in his throat. Was that blood coming out?

The girl winced, but didn't hesitate. She gripped the blade handle harder and stared at the boar, as if calculating its next move. Her right foot tensed, and she seemed ready to jump.

The boar seemed to know this, and instead of going for her again, it made a run straight toward Percy.

He shrieked. His legs flew up as he tried to kick it.

Percy must have been stronger than he thought, because he managed to send the pig flying several feet away. It wheezed as it soared. Percy grinned, feeling mighty proud of himself.

But then he felt the sharp pain in his calf.

The girl ran off for the boar, and Percy tried to watch despite his grimaces of pain. She was leaping and rolling and dodging like a pro.

Who is she? Percy wondered.

With one last squeal, the boar dissolved into dust, the girl's knife clambering to the ground. The blonde bent forward and picked up the knife, inspecting it. Apparently satisfied, she slipped it into a sheath around her belt and turned back to the child by the coast.

When she saw the blood slipping out of his leg, her eyes widened. She rushed forward and bent down.

"Oh my gods, Percy," she muttered, stormy eyes filled with concern. "When you kicked the boar, its tusk must have cut into you." She hesitantly pressed a finger about an inch from the wound.

"Ouch!" He cried, wincing sharply.

The girl pressed her lips together. "Come on, Percy. You'll survive this one. Could you do me a favor and step into the water?"

"S'cold," he mumbled.

A smile wriggled onto her face. "Yes, I know. But would you mind doing it anyway?"

He looked up at the girl who had saved his life. There was a sort of affection in her eyes he wasn't used to from strangers.

"Who are you?" He asked.

She glanced down, smiling a little. Her eyes closed. "A friend, Percy. Now go on, get into the water. Trust me, it'll make you feel better. Don't you just love the water?"

Slowly, Percy nodded. He really did love the water, more than anything. Except for his mom. Without questioning how the blonde knew this, he started waddling toward the beach. The water was still freezing cold, but it was soothing in a way. His cut didn't seem so bad.

He glanced down to look at it, wondering what blood looked like underwater. But to his astonishment, the cut wasn't opening any more. In fact, it was closing! It was healing! How was that possible!

Percy was too beguiled to notice the flash as the mysterious girl vanished.

A few moments later, Sally returned, carrying an umbrella. "Percy, the water's too cold in this weather! Please come out!"

"I love the water," he mumbled, knowing his mom couldn't hear. But then he dutifully stood up and headed back for shore.


	3. Part 3

**Third part's here! Enjoy!**

 **Beckles: Ha ha, thanks for the reviews. I don't mind all that much if I'm not getting a lot of reviews, though, which is funny because a few months ago I'd've been crying my eyes out.**

* * *

 _Part Three_

He didn't have to wait long before the girl made another appearance. About a year later, he was in third grade and was trying to draw with chalk on the pavement at the school playground.

There was a tickling sensation on the back of his neck, and he swiveled his head around. At first, it was hard to see. He dug his fingers into his palm, squinting. The powdered chalk was caked his skin, but he forgot all about it once he saw _it_.

A man, in a dark trenchcoat. He wore a hat that dribbled eerie shadows down his face, and he wore a sinister snarl. Percy shivered and tucked his knees in. He couldn't see the man's eyes, with the hat dipping so low, but he had the distinct feeling the man was watching him.

The piece of chalk slipped out of his fingers, rolling across the bumpy ground. Percy rose to his feet, taking a shaky, nervous breath, and started walking away. Maybe he was just imagining things. He had to have just been imagining things.

He went to the slide and waited in line to get on. The sun glinted off the metal of the monkey bars. Percy focused on that part. Shiny was much safer than scary. The metal here felt warm, too. His feet shuffled across the sand, kicking up the dust in the air, listening to the giggles and chatter of the children around him. They shared the playground with the second graders, so he watched them run around, thinking about the little brother he never had. He had always asked his mom for a little brother, but she would just shake her head, smile sadly, and say that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. She had to keep an eye on her one brave boy, after all.

Either way, watching the little kids run around carefree helped him relax. It made him feel more safe. Like he was at home.

The line thinned and Percy found himself at the front of the line. A grin settled onto his mouth. He began climbing, careful not to slip on the sand that had made its way onto the steps of the sturdy steel staircase. His hands gripped the sun-kissed handlebars. He didn't love the sky quite as much as he did the sea; it didn't give him that warm, tingling sense, but he did love the thrill of walking higher and higher. It gave him a bit of a rush that set his heart racing. He couldn't quite place it.

As he reached the top, though, and bent down to go down the slide, he felt a trickle of dread settling into his stomach, weighing him down. It felt cold, much colder than it should have been in the freeing sun.

Percy slowly lifted his head, and his gaze caught onto a silhouette in the corner. He felt colder. It was him. The man.

Oh, no. He wasn't imagining things.

The man reached for his dark hat and slipped it off. His arms were thick and meaty-looking, coated in filthy hair. The hat also looked dirty, as if it had been dragged through mud. And something else. Mud didn't look quite like that when it dried...

Blood?

No, that was silly. Strangers don't come to the playground with blood on his hat. People would have said something, right? Right?

He glanced around, checking the supervisors spread around the playground. For some reason, none of them were looking at the mysterious man as if he didn't belong. He got a sinking feeling that he couldn't quite explain, until he realized: it's not that they didn't notice the man's hat, it was that they didn't notice the man at all. They walked straight past him as if he wasn't even there. Certainly they would have at least seen, him, right? Even if he was a parent of one of the kids, wouldn't one of them try to help him find his kid?

And besides, the man didn't seem to be watching out for a kid. He seemed to be looking at...

Percy.

He swallowed.

"Go!" shouted one of the kids at the bottom of the side, hands on hips. Percy jolted back into reality and gave himself a push, allowing himself to relish in the momentary feeling of freedom as he slid down the smooth ride.

Was he just imagining it, or was there a huge flash as he slid down?

He reached the bottom, feet crashing into the dirt below. Grains of sand wriggled their way into his pant legs. He winced, but quickly looked up where the man had been. With the hat off, his face was a lot clearer to see. A rough chin, chapped mouth, mean-looking nose, and...

There was a flash of blonde hair.

Percy's heart skipped a beat. It was her. That girl. Again.

She pulled out a dagger, winked at Percy, and stabbed the man in the back.

Percy's eyes widened and he stumbled back, trying to regain his balance. Did she just-

The man didn't appear hurt too badly, just angered. His arms flailed as he cried out, turning a few, but not all heads. He spun around as quickly as he could in that large figure. A growl crept out of his mouth, and his knuckles rippled into a fist.

The girl rolled, and lunged again. This time, she slashed his neck, and the giant man fell back, collapsing onto the ground. The blonde girl bent down, wrestled her knife through his chest, finishing the job quickly and efficiently.

Before the man dissolved into nothingness, Percy could have sworn the guy looked straight at him...

With one eye.

Percy blinked, then, without hesitation, ran toward the girl. She was wiping her brow with her arm. Both were covered in grime.

"Are you okay?" he asked, heart racing. Before she could answer, he added, "That was awesome! How come nobody else saw?"

The girl looked at him, eyes softening with a smile. "There's something called the Mist. It makes it so people don't see things the same way we do."

"We?"

She winked. "You'll understand in a few years, okay? You're actually not supposed to see me right now. You didn't see me most of the times I came."

"What do you mean? Why a few years?"

She looked over the top of his head into the distance and sighed. "Because that's when you'll meet me. Past me."

"Past?" Percy scrunched his nose.

Her eyes flickered down to his, and made him pause. Her eyes reminded him of storm clouds, but in a good way. "I'm a time traveller, Percy. Among other things. I'm from your future."

"Wha-"

"I've got to go. You'll understand it all in a few years, I promise."

And she ran away. With a flash, she was gone, leaving Percy to himself.

 _Time travel_ , he repeated in his head. _Then where did the monsters come from?_


	4. Part 4

**Merry Christmas Eve to anyone reading this who actually...you know...** ** _celebrates_** **Christmas. If you celebrate Hanukkah I'm like well over a week late.**

 ***Awkward Silence***

 **Okay! Let's get going!**

* * *

 _Part Four_

"Oh, don't worry, Mrs. Jackson, we're sure your son will absolutely thrive here," said Mrs. Espari. "Almost all of our students have come from troubled homes-"

"I don't come from a troubled home," said Percy. "My home's just fine."

"-but Carleson Junior High is committed to creating a safe environment with the support system-"

"-my mom supports me fine-"

"-and resources needed to lay the foundations for a solid sense of character and a bright future ahead." She smiled.

Percy couldn't quite place what it was about Mrs. Espari that was rubbing him off the wrong way. Maybe it was the sweet, nasally voice that just didn't go with the grim walls and atmosphere of the room. Maybe it was the fact that she barely blinked. Maybe it was the way she sounded like she was reading off a pamphlet instead of speaking from the heart. Or the way she addressed Sally directly, but refused to acknowledge Percy despite her claims of support.

He glanced up at his mom to see if she was getting the same negative vibe. She had her lips pursed, but only slightly. Her demeanor was calm, but her hand twitched a bit. "Well, Percy is a great kid. I'm sure he won't act up while he's here. Isn't that right, Percy?"

"Yes, Mom," he said, knowing better than to try and correct her. It wasn't as if he was misbehaving intentionally or anything. Things just kept happening to him. He couldn't quite explain it. But he knew it had something to do with _her_ , that pretty blonde girl who he hadn't seen in over two years. His protector.

Mrs. Espari gave him the once-over, making Percy suddenly very self-conscious. He wasn't exactly the happiest of campers being inspected by weird admissions officers. He blinked, then turned his head to take in the building.

The lights buzzed yellow and hummed from above. The walls were covered in a dark brown wallpaper, peeling in some areas. It looked painfully dreary, but it was obvious that whoever was acting as an interim interior decorator had tried to combat the dullness by placing some obnoxiously bright orange and blue vases all around the room, scattered and mismatched. There were paintings, too, of random abstract faces that probably held some deep rhetorical meaning about humanity and sacrifice but only looked to Percy like a really sick mutant llama that was playing too much paintball.

The thought, unfortunately, wasn't enough to perk him up.

He felt something on his shoulder, and he glanced up to see his mom looking at him. "Come on, Percy. Would you like to take a tour?"

Percy glanced back and forth between his mom and Mrs. Espari, almost fearful that there was some sort of conspiracy going on. He trusted his mom, though, and she looked earnest enough, so he slowly nodded. "All right. That sounds good."

Mrs. Espari gave the pair a great toothy smile that didn't reach her eyes and pulled up her phone. "I'll call the front office to see if we can get you a student to guide you two, sound good?"

Sally nodded. Percy walked over to the waiting area, where some oversized leather chairs that weighed about a thousand pounds were parked. He settled down and glanced at the magazines there. They were all education-themed, like "School Weekly" and "Education's Best". Percy made a face. The covers looked lousy, too. One showed a group of forcefully cheerful toddlers huddled around some science experiment with a cactus buried in fake desert sand. Boring.

"I'm going to use the restroom," said Sally, whispering to Percy with a quirk of the eyebrows. Percy simply nodded; it wasn't as if he could blame her for not wanting to hang around in this depressing excuse of a room. He watched her as she disappeared down a hallway, then start majorly slouching in his seat.

He didn't notice when Mrs. Espari walked out the door. He was too busy staring at the ceiling, half-expecting the hanging lamps to come tumbling down.

Suddenly, there was a flash. Percy felt a sense of anticipation roll around in his stomach. His heart raced. The last time that had happened...

Then dread sunk in, matched with disturbing cold fear. The last time that had happened...

Sure enough, there was a sudden roaring sound. A huge beast, dark like an oversized dog, came crashing in, blood curdling out of its mouth. Percy flinched, not sure at all _what the heck_ he was supposed to do. Was there a weapon lying around or so-

Then she came running in, carrying the same dagger he had seen her with before. Percy peered his eyes, recalling the memories of her from preschool, and Montauk. She looked exactly the same as she always had.

 _Time travel_ , his mind said to him.

The girl's fight with the monster was especially vicious. The giant black hound kept crashing into the walls, knocking over the paintings and vases, tearing apart the walls and ripping the doors and doorframes apart.

And, oh, look. The ceiling lamp _did_ fall down.

The girl seemed to be having some trouble, but she did have the time to lock eyes with Percy.

She looked maybe a little more tired than he'd have expected, but then it had probably been a long day for her. And anyway, her eyes still looked exactly the same.

The creature pawed her, and she stumbled back. Percy gaped, knowing he had to help her. But how?

His eyes landed on the crushed ceiling lamp on the floor by his feet. He grinned.

ADHD kicking in full-time, Percy lunged forward and snatched the cord, tugging it toward him. Then he lifted the lamp and swung it around like a lasso.

It slammed into the beast with a loud crackling sound. With a menacing growl, it turned to him, bloody red anger infesting its eyes.

Percy swallowed. Maybe not the best idea.

Just then, the girl came back, slashing her knife through the monsters neck.

And it exploded into confetti.

There were a few moments of silence, with both people panting, aftershock of the battle settling in. Then the two looked at each other.

"Nice moves," said Percy.

"Not so bad yourself," said the girl.

A pause.

"Who are you?"

The girl looked at Percy, studying him intently. She walked up to him, saying, "That doesn't matter right now."

"Yes, it does," he insisted.

"No, it doesn't," she affirmed. She knelt in front of him, and Percy swallowed. He hadn't been this close to her since he was a toddler. And she really was pretty.

"Listen to me, Percy," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder. She stared at him intently, and he swallowed, feeling compelled to keep going. "It's not long now. Gods, it really won't be much longer. You won't see me, this me, again."

Percy widened his eyes in alarm. "What? Bu-"

"You'll learn how to fend for yourself. You'll learn from the best," she added, with a smile that had just a hint of sadness. "I promise you that. And we'll see each other again, but in the right order. I won't know you. But we'll get to know each other." Her smile brightened. "We'll know each other better than anyone. And the adventures we'll have together..." Her eyes looked distant.

Percy swallowed. "Okay."

She snapped out of her odd little daze and beamed at him. "Trust me, it'll be amazing. But you've got to listen to me now. Don't let your mom know about this. Any of this. In all the times I came back in time, you were never supposed to see me. But it couldn't be helped in some cases. But your mom _really_ can't know. If she knows, the time lines will get really messed up."

"And that's bad."

"Extremely. Our history could rewrite itself. And I don't even want to know what'll happen if that's the case." She took a breath, looking a bit shaken. "So you're going to have to wait it out. Your mom will find out about these things in her own time, the way she's supposed to. Until then, she knows enough to keep you sake."

"What do you mean?"

She closed her eyes. "I'd explain it to you, Percy, honest, but we're running low on time here. I've got to get going. But you'll see me soon, all right?"

He nodded, slowly. She smiled at him, and then paused, as if thinking. Apparently coming to a decision, she bent forward and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. Then she stood and straightened her shirt.

"Wait!" said Percy, eyes growing wide. He stretched an arm out. "If you're from the future, what am I like? Or am I...?"

The brightest smile Percy had ever seem came to life on the blonde girl's face. "Perseus Jackson. You are going to be spectacular."

There was a flash of light, and she was gone.

Percy drew out a long breath, mind buzzing. Who was this girl? And how long would he have to wait?

At that point, Mrs. Espari came crawling over the doorframe that had been torn apart. Her hair was disheveled, and she wore a vicious snarl. Sally followed, eyes wide and full of horror. She stared at Percy, who thought the wisest thing to do was shrug and act dumb.

Mrs. Espari turned to Sally. "Mrs. Jackson, I'm sorry, but I don't think Carleson will be accepting Percy any time soon. May I suggest Yancy Academy?"

Sally looked horrified. "My son doesn't belong there!"

"Look around you, Mrs. Jackson! Your son just defaced the entire waiting room! If he doesn't belong at Yancy, then I'm a goldfish!"

Sally closed her eyes. Percy's head was jumping. Wasn't Yancy Academy a school for delinquents?

The mother and son made their way out the door. Sally tucked her hands in her pockets. And Percy realized: maybe he _was_ a delinquent, in a way. Only a delinquent could make his mom look so sad.

He could only hope he'd meet the mystery girl at Yancy.


	5. Part 5

**Merry Christmas to you kiddies who celebrate Christmas, and welcome to the fifth and final segment to our little story here.**

* * *

 _Part Five_

He couldn't help but wonder if the sky was going to flash any time soon.

Oh, he knew, he _knew_ that Mystery Girl said that would be the last time they met like that, but would she really know for sure? Time traveller she may be, but those events would still be her personal future, right? So she couldn't possibly know for sure!

Unless Future Percy told her it was the last time. He supposed, if nothing else, that Future Percy was someone _Current_ Percy would have to trust. Especially if he was as "spectacular" as Mystery Girl said.

But still. He was growing comfortable with their little pattern. Big, scary, dangerous monster shows up, and heroic mystery blonde girl stops it. He liked that pattern. It was reassuring. It was constant. It was safe.

So when his teacher, Mrs. Dodds, turned into a weird bat-like creature attacking him for some stolen bolt, he couldn't help but wonder where the hell she was.

He would have been lying if he said he hadn't been scrutinizing every blonde girl he ran into, hoping it would be her. But alas, no dice.

Mrs. Dodds screeched again. Okay, maybe this wasn't the time for stray thoughts about gorgeous girls.

"What ho, Percy!" Mr. Brunner shouted, tossing a pen at him.

A pen. A _pen_. He wondered if that Mist thing the girl had once mentioned to him was deluding his Latin teacher into thinking that Mrs. Dodds was attacking him with a spelling test.

Then the pen turned into a sword, and he wasn't sure anymore who was deluding who.

He slashed the sword at his teacher, but she expertly dodged, still cackling.

Great. He couldn't even swing a sword properly.

Then, he heard the sound of a body hitting the ground. He spun around, and saw Mr. Brunner being knocked over. He fell out of his wheelchair, and slowly transformed...

...into a half-horse?

His beloved Latin teacher was a monster, too?

Before he had time to react, someone jumped over the paralyzed horse, looking highly disinterested. She glanced up at Percy, at the sword, at the crazy bat-like creature behind him.

He froze.

His heart stilled.

It was _her_.

Her stormy blue eyes looked straight into his.

She charged up the staircase, wielding not a knife, but a sword: half bronze, half steel. Her hands were gripped around the handle. She moved with the same expertise Percy was used to, which jolted him a bit since in this case, she wasn't an older teen, but around his age. Her hair was lighter than he was used to, too, as if she had spent days on end in the sun.

She charged past Percy without a spark of recognition. She slashed her sword, but it was a bit clunky in her hands and she missed. Percy blinked, and knew what he had to do.

Adrenaline kicked in.

He jumped.

The sword flashed through the monster, turning it to dust.

He landed.

The girl looked at him. "Woah."

He blinked. "Hey. Thanks for..uhh..."

"Totally missing the Fury when I was trying to save your life? Yeah, I'm so helpful." She sighed and stared at the floor.

"A Fury? That's what it is?"

"Yeah. Back at the barracks, we learn how to identify and battle creatures like them."

Percy tried to wrap his mind around that. Barracks? Is that where she's from?

He glanced down. "And what about the...Mr. Brunner?"

She followed his gaze. "The centaur?" She shrugged. "They're not so dangerous usually when they're by themselves, but yeah. We learn to fight them, too. Unfortunately, this one's ancient. Not as easy to kill as you'd think. I had to settle for knocking him out." She leaned against the wall, looking utterly dejected. "Seems like I'm not being very useful today, am I?"

Percy studied her. She wore a bright orange t-shirt, similar to the one he'd seen her in before, but newer and a few sizes smaller. There was a large letter "K" on it. He must have missed it before, since the one he had seen was well-worn.

"You'll do better, one day, I'm sure of it," he said, hoping it sounded soothing.

She scoffed.

He studied her again. Younger, definitely. But just as tough and formidable. But there was something missing...

His eyes widened.

"What?" Her voice was laced with irritation.

"Maybe it's the sword that's the problem. It looked a bit heavy for you." When she seemed interested, he added, "Why not try a knife? Like, a really cool dagger?"

She paused, lost in thought. Her deep blue eyes were rather lovely. "I'll consider it," she said finally.

There was a silence between them, and Percy wondered if she was going to speak again. When he had seen her before, Future Her, that was, she had always seemed so high and mighty. But now, she seemed like a regular girl, almost.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Shayla," she said. "Shayla Huxley. And you're Percy Jackson."

He froze. "H-how did you know that?"

She shrugged. "I came looking for you. We're hoping to recruit you."

"Recruit me for what?"

She glanced sideways at him. "You know all those old myths about Greek gods and the like?"

Percy nodded. He had just been learning about them downstairs.

"Well, they're real."

Percy nodded again.

Shayla raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem surprised."

"I've seen a lot of weird stuff throughout my life."

She shrugged, as if that made sense. Probably did. "Well, if they're real, I'm sure you understand that Kronos, the Lord Titan, is real, too."

Percy blinked. "Isn't he, like, the evil one or something?"

Shayla's eyes widened, and she shook her head emphatically. "What? No!"

"But Mr. Brunner said-"

"Your Mr. Brunner is a centaur. You really want to trust what _he_ says?"

Percy frowned. She had a point.

Shayla continued. "Look, Kronos isn't evil. He's a genius. He's given us so many gifts."

"Us?"

"His army. A war's coming, and he needs all the help he can get."

"Why's that."

Her fingers tightened around her sword handle, and she snarled. "Eons ago, the gods cut him into a millions of pieces. But he's coming back, and he's going to reconquer the world and save it from the gods' foolish mistakes. And he has so much to offer us. These, blades, for instance," she said, lifting up her own sword. "Half steel, half Celestial bronze. Can kill mortals and monsters alike."

Percy let out a low whistle.

"Plus, time travel," she said, and Percy jolted. "That's real, too. As soon as Kronos gains enough strength, he'll have the power to send us anywhere in time we need to go."

"How?"

"He's the Lord of Time. Try not to question it."

"Oh."

Shayla straightened, slipping her sword into her belt. "Thanks for the tip on the sword, by the way. I'll try to find a dagger when I get back to barracks." She looked straight into his eyes. "So, you interested?"

"In what?" Percy asked.

Shayla rolled her eyes. "In joining us, of course."

Percy stilled, taking a moment to look down the stairway, where his class was still waiting for him. And Grover.

"They're going to expel you, you know," Shayla blurted. "One of your teachers is missing, and the other knocked out. They'll blame you, and you'll be expelled, or worse." She sighed. "With Lord Kronos at our side, you won't have to worry about moving around and making new friends. You'll have the recruits."

"Like you?"

She grinned. "Like me."

Percy still looked uncertain, so she added, "And think about this: your favorite teacher turned out to be a monster. Who else can you trust? On my way here, I could have sworn I saw a satyr kid _in your class_ eating an apple."

"What?"

"Yeah. Curly hair, funny walk, looks a bit too old to be a student. If he's not a satyr, then I don't know what to say."

Percy felt a twisting feeling in his gut. That sounded like Grover. His only friend here at Yancy. A monster.

Shayla was right. He really couldn't trust anyone.

She put a hand on his shoulder, and he felt a comfortable warmth flood through him. No, that was wrong. There was someone he could trust. Someone who had come through several moments in his life, protecting him, slaying monsters.

And they were friends in the future. At least. He knew that much.

He supposed, if nothing else, that Future Percy and Future Shayla was the only people _Current_ Percy could trust.

"What do you think?" she asked. "Kronos will give you the training, knowledge, and purpose you need. And I'll be there to help you out."

Percy pulled his eyes away from the staircase, where the nasty centaur was starting to stir.

He looked at Shayla.

"That sounds spectacular.

The End.

 **Oh, no, did I put Annabeth in the character list and label this a romance? Ha ha, _whoops_.**


End file.
